Ah, the mysteries of combination skin. You know how it goes; some spots on the face are sheer perfection while others are burdens beyond compare. Is there any way to turn combination skin into uniformly healthy, glowing skin?
First things first: what is combination skin?
Like many skin conditions, combination skin presents in numerous ways. It can be particularly present in the T-zone area, where oiliness or breakouts may be more common while other areas of the face aren’t. You may suffer from both breakouts and dryness on the face at the same time. There may be larger pore sizes on your nose compared with cheeks or jaw line. And yet another indicator of combo skin may be a bit further up on the scalp. Dandruff can (but not always) indicate combination skin issues.
Combination skin can be impacted by the environment (hot weather = oiliness), diet, and skincare products. But it’s most often caused by your genes. So before you go knocking on Grandma’s door to air your grievances, give your skin a little love and see if you can’t ease the combination skin woes on your own.
How to treat combination skin.
- Wash properly: For oily T-zone areas, adding a cleansing brush to your skin cleansing routine can help to decrease the oiliness, particularly when the weather is warmer. In cooler seasons, where your skin may be more prone to dryness, use an oil-based cleanser to help boost and retain moisture in the skin.
- Exfoliate: Skin that’s too dry or too oily can both benefit from exfoliation. Exfoilating removes dead skin cells, which helps to retain moisture. Use fruit-acid based peels or exfoliating grains to remove dead skin cells 1-3 times a week.
- Tone before moisturizing: Toners can help to reduce the appearance of pore size, and they can also help to address excess oil production – key for your too-oily T-zone. Using a toner that contains fruit acids or apple cider vinegar may help to reduce oiliness while prepping for moisturizing. And, yes, you should still moisturize even if you’re having excess oil issues! Retinol-based moisturizers or those containing alpha or beta hydroxy acids can provide skin the moisture it needs to stay balanced while also helping to reduce the appearance of pores.
- Wear a mask: Not to hide your beautiful face, of course. But to treat it. Clay masks or those with activated charcoal are excellent at drying out oily areas, and can restore glow to all of your face, no matter whether it’s too dry or too oily. Use a mask once a week.
- Treat your scalp: For excessively dry and flaky scalp related to combination skin, use a shampoo with tea tree oil, and be sure to really massage the scalp to help remove the dead skin. You can also apply a few drops of tea tree essential oil or black seed oil to your shampoo to help relieve dryness and itching. Your scalp may also benefit from a deep conditioning coconut oil treatment you can leave on for a few hours or overnight.
